The centrifugal spinning of fibers from pitch is known in the art. Reference may be had to several methods, types of apparatus and kinds of pitches which may be employed. In some instances, the prior art practices will result in large diameter fibers or fibers with relatively poor mechanical properties. Others result in low throughput or in fibers with no discernable microstructure.
It is an object of the present invention to produce at high throughputs sub-denier pitch carbon fibers of defined microstructure which are particularly useful as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites and for the enhancement of the thermal and electrical conductivity thereof.